The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-11-02


Except whom?"
4" was going to say-Harry."
Exceedingly fine compliment you
are paying me. You expect some of
my choicest flowers for that tid-bit of
flattery."
Lottie did not reply, but looked in
such CONSERVATION from the rosebush
to himself that the doctor could not but
SMILE
You would like to hear the story.
Well, it never came from my lips be-
fore, Little Miss, but will give it to
you. You see had been medical
student under old DR.. West, and when
he died got my diploma and stuck my
shingle out here. Soon after that / got
acquainted with as trim built girl as
you often see, and after while some
how or other we became engaged. l
was young and had my way to make,
and we resolved to wait two years be-
fore settling down. Over back of the
hill yonder there lived girl named
Nancy Brown, a pretty, pale creature,
who seemed just ready to go off to the
angels. l was called to attend her, and
l wanted to do my best. knew they
could never pay cent, and perhaps for
that reason | went a little oftener than
/ needed. Nancy had one precious
thing-her rosebush-small then, but
giving promise of great things. 1t did
seem as if everybody begrudged it to
her. for half the town in one way or
another sought to make it worth her
while TO give it up. Perhaps the mo-
tives were good; but, though Nancy
ttN live ~ frn1H
was yellow enough to buy her one treas
ure. Well, her fragility proved not to
be incipent consumption after all, and
time went on until within twenty-four
hours of my wedding day, and that
morning l was in my office here on the
watch for my sweetheart, who soon, all
smiles and bushes, with the conscious
ness that it was the last time as a
maiden, came tripping down the street.
went out to meet her. The bush, not
half as large as it is now, stood here in
my window.
"'Oh,' said my bride that was to be,
in pretty rapture, Nancy has sold
you her rosel Did you cross it root
and branch with silver coin?''
"' Not l. Nancy gave it to me Of her
own free, sweet will
{" A Jealous flush came over my girls
proud face.
"' thought, she said, that your
visits were more frequent than her ILL
ness called for. You love her, and if
you are fair to her you are false
to me-
81 made a sharp reply. She had
charged me with double dealing. We
were both terribly angry. The next
morning we were to have been mar
red. That was fifteen years ago, and
we have never spoken together since.
Nancy was going away to fulfill prom
Use made in childhood, and she gave
me her rose because / had saved her
life for her lover Perhaps had, but
she had unknowingly ruined mine. I
kept the bush, and it has blossomed
every month with all its might. More
than one young mother has begged of
me some dainty buds to clasp in her
dead baby's hand and many bride
has pleaded with sweet lips for just a
few blossoms to gem her hair. have
denied them all, and have never cut
one of the flowers until it withered
from the stem. 1t was not for Nancy's
sake, either, but somehow for the girls
whose life was to have blessed mine"
" But you did not love your sweet
heart much,' ventured Lottie, winking
off the salt drops that had collected on
her long lashes.
Not love her" roared the doctor.
BOUNDS! can a chit like you undertake
to gauge the depths of mans soul?"
" If you had you would have acted
differently" bravely asserted this small
council of one, sitting in judgment,
with her chin resting on her hand.
g Acted differently" Numbered the
irate doctor. &C Pray, Miss Wisdom,
how should have acted?'
" You would have said to your sweet
heart, do not love Nanny, but do
love her rose. She is going away and
gave it to me in gratitude. But l give
the rose and myself and all that have
to you, because love you better than
all the world Then don't you see
that everything would have been
smooth, and you would have been all
these years full of joy?"
" BOUNDS! so should" exclaimed
the excited doctor, rising to his feet.
d" John, come in here" he called.
" Help me wrap up this rose tree.
There, put it on your hand-sled and
draw it home for this young lady and
set it in the house. And you, Little
Miss, present it with my compliments
and best wishes to Henrietta Henshaw
Good heavens, what fool'' said the
doctor, striking his bald head vigor
Gus thump, when left alone.
Lottie did as she was hidden, giving
Aunt Hetty such galvanic shock as to al
most paralyze her. The good lady came
to enough 10 glance furtively down the
street to see really that the " imperti.
nent white thing" was no longer star
ing at her from the DOCTORS bay-win-
dow. She had bay-window, too, look
ing southwark, and into it she con
trived to roll the great box, with its
wealth of white blossoms. The doctor
looking steadily out from his dis
mantled corner, drew his own conclu
sions.
Ahem!" said Miss Hetta. How
long would it take to work that non
sense you were talking about?"
81 could get it done by night,
gasped Lottie, all of delicious
tremble.
Well, child, l did not mean to bt
cross. Take this and do as you please
, with it,"
Lottie's hand closed quickly over thu
GOLD coin-she did not need n tenth q